68 RETURN TO FORT DOUGLAS. 



pressing hunger. Every one rambled in pur- 

 suit of game, but generally returned unsuc- 

 cessful. One evening, a servant brought in 

 from his day's hunt a large horned owl, 

 which was immediately cooked, and eagerly 

 despatched. The next day, I was walking 

 along the shore with my gun, when the waves 

 cast at my feet a dead jack-fish ; I took it 

 up, and felt, from the keenness of my appetite 

 for animal food, as though I could have im- 

 * mediately devoured it, notwithstanding it bore 

 the marks of having been dead a considerable 

 time. At this moment, I heard the croaking 

 of a raven, and placing the fish upon the bank, 

 as a bait, I shot it from behind a willow, where 

 I had concealed myself, as it lighted upon the 

 ground ; and the success afforded me a welcome 

 repast at night. 



We reached the mouth of the Red River on 

 the 2nd of November, and found our friend 

 Pigewis, the Indian chief, at his old encamp- 

 ment. He received us most i* v spitably, giving 

 us a good supply of dried sturgeon. Our 

 hungry party put the liberality of the Indians 

 to the test, but it did not fail ; as I believe 

 H seldom does, in their improvidence of to- 

 morrow. I landed at Fort Douglas on the 

 4th, and could not but recount the mercies of 



